Tools For Today's Farmers

Reagan Koester is a junior majoring in Agricultural Business in Purdue’s College of Agriculture. Raised on her family’s grain and robotic dairy farm in Southwestern Indiana, she brings a strong work ethic and deep-rooted passion for agriculture. A proud product of Purdue’s land-grant mission, Reagan began her Purdue journey through Indiana 4-H, later serving as a State 4-H Ambassador and impacting...

Maddy Vanderkooy is the Program Coordinator for the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Partnership (WRASAP). With formal training in Human Service Counseling and Community Health Work, she brings both professional expertise and personal passion to her role. As a third-generation dairy farm kid, Maddy’s agricultural roots deeply shape her work and fuel her commitment to supporting the...

Nakisha Thompson-McGee is a dynamic mother, grandmother, healthcare advocate, licensed insurance professional, and founder of McGee Medical Advocates, an insurance agency dedicated to reimagining how individuals and organizations engage with health and life insurance. McGee Medical Advocates mission is equal to their value, educating to help improve the health of an organization's financial st...

Becky Wiseman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R) with more than 30 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and communities—particularly those in New York’s agricultural sector. She currently serves as the Family Consultants Supervisor for Cornell University’s New York FarmNet, a free and confidential support service for farm families across the state. Becky’s deep roots in...

Julia A. Wickard serves as the Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association and Constituent Liaison. Previously she served as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Indiana. Wickard also has served as the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Program Support and the Agricultural Liaison at the Indiana Department of Environmental Managemen...

Reverend Jennifer Coffman—though she prefers to go by Jenn—is a wife, mom, substitute teacher at Wapahani High School, chaplain with the YMCA of Muncie, pastor, speaker, and an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. With more than 15 years of ministry experience, Jenn is passionate about joining in the work God is already doing to build His Kingdom here on earth. Jenn and her husband, Micha...

Jason Barber, known to most people as Duck, lives in a small rural area in southern middle Tennessee. He's an eighth generation cattle farmer, operate a 100+ acre farm, and grows approximately 30 head of beef cattle, and harvest hay. Doing all of this, while at the same time being legally blind. Duck was diagnosed with a retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa in 1999. He was then deemed legally...

Colleen Carpenter provides evidence-based training and targeted consultation to build long-term capacity to prevent suicide and improve mental wellness. Her mission is to help organizations and communities tighten their safety nets so that people who are struggling with suicide and mental health issues are identified and helped. Besides providing training and consultation, she is the Director of S...

Meet Emily Grant , a passionate advocate for mental health in agriculture and a freshman at Purdue University studying Agriculture Communications . With a standout FFA career and a deep-rooted love for the industry, Emily founded “The Whole Farmer” —a social media platform dedicated to the mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being of farmers, ranchers, and agriculturalists. Through her wo...

Emily Meckel is the founder and executive director of Hancock County Poss-ABILITIES. Emily alongwith her husband Justin and daughter Emery own and operate Sunshine Valley Farm in Carthage,Indiana. She also works with Justin, at Meckel Construction. She is most importantly Emery’s mom,the inspiration for Poss-ABILITIES. Emily is a lifelong Hancock County resident and met her husbandJustin in 2010,...

Join us as we talk with Rosalind Kidwell, the 2025 Miss American Angus. She is a freshmanat Purdue University studying Biochemistry with the intention of going to Pharmacy school to be aVeterinary Pharmacist. Rosalind is a 5th generation Angus breeder and has been around cattle her entire life. She hastraveled all over the country exhibiting cattle and continues travelling but with a new goal,advo...

Don Lamb is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, re-appointed by Governor Mike Braun on Dec. 23, 2024. He reports directly to Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, who serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Don is a second-generation farmer for Lamb Farms in Boone County where, alongside his father, brother, and nephews, they produce corn, popcorn, seed...

Blaine Hitzfield is the CEO of Seven Sons, a five-hundred acre regenerative farm he operates and cofounded with his parents and six brothers. Blaine’s entrepreneurial spirit ignited early, helping transformSeven Sons from a struggling family farm into a thriving business that serves 20,000 families annuallywith regenerative foods. Beyond Seven Sons, Blaine co-founded GrazeCart, an e-commerce platf...

Brian Reisinger grew up on a family farm in Sauk County, Wisconsin and lives to tell the hidden stories of rural America. A columnist and consultant, Reisinger worked with his father from the time he could walk, before entering the worlds of business journalism and public policy. He has been published by USA Today, Newsweek, Yahoo News, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/USA Today Network, PBS/Wiscons...

Dr. Kelli Werling is the Deputy Director of the Animal Programs Division and the Director of Swine Health at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. In this role, she oversees development and implementation for a variety of regulatory animal health programs, including but not limited to livestock disease preparedness and response activities. Dr. Werling grew up on a Central Indiana sheep and gra...

Annie Cole currently serves as the Youth Leadership & Resilience Manager for a national Nonprofit called Bring Change to Mind. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and is currently a master’s candidate at IU Indianapolis and will graduate in 2025 with a Masters of Public Affairs with a concentration in Innovation & Social Change. She is a passionate educator and advocate w...

Amanda Radke is a fifth generation rancher from Mitchell, SD. Alongside her husband, Tyler, and their four children, they operate Radke Land & Cattle, an Angus seedstock operation. A former National FFA Extemp Speaking Champion and National Beef Ambassador, Radke has spent nearly 20 years on the road fighting to keep agricultural families on the land, rural main street businesses thriving, and...

Calli Thorne is a keynote speaker, global leadership trainer, mindset coach, and multi-business entrepreneur. She is married to her husband CJ and they have three young children. Calli grew up on her family’s farm and ranch in northwest North Dakota and today they operate multiple enterprises including a backgrounding feedlot, cow/calf operation, and sell beef directly to consumers. They just rece...

Join us with Maddy and Brady from the NJSA as we talk all things swine, leadership, and even mental health in the shows. Maddy and Brady are unique in their fields and experience.

Renee Wiatt serves as the Family Business Management Specialist for the Purdue Institute for Family Business housed in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. She also serves as the research and extension specialist for the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, where she studies the intersection of rural businesses and healthcare. Renee works on Extension and...

Todd Price serves as the Vice President of Operations at Farm Foundation. Todd was raised on his family’s 170-year-old grain and livestock farm in southwest Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree from Simpson College and is a 2014 graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership program. Actively involved in various agricultural organizations, he currently serves as a board member for his local Far...

Join us and the entire Indiana team from CareSource to learn about their initiatives in helping agriculture families get the help they need with medical care and more.

Emily Mullen is a 2019 grad from The Ohio State University - ATI. Upon graduation Emily returned home to her  family's 125 year old dairy farm in southwest Ohio. Knowing the key to survival as a small producer is diversification, Emily has since expanded the farm from cows and plows to bottling her own milk and events as far-fetched as calf yoga. She has also built a new facility incorporating...

Kourtney, a present Sophomore at Purdue University, is diligently pursuing a dual major in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Economics, specializing in Agricultural Law and Policy. Her academic pursuits reflect a commitment to comprehensively understanding the intricate intersection of agriculture, economics, and legal frameworks. Post-Purdue, Kourtney envisions furthering her educational jo...

Marshal Sewell was raised on his family’s fifth generation fruit and vegetable farm in Plant City, Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, he began a career in the vegetable seed industry. He currently works with Bayer Vegetable Seeds as a member of their Global Strategic Accounts team. His personal farm experience and his professional work across the produce business have given...